Bridge suspender collar



Dec. 10, 1968 P. R. PERKEY, 5R

BR IDGE SUSPENDER COLLAR Filed Nov. 21, 1966 IN VEN TOR Pres/on R. Per/ray Sr.

United States Patent M 3,414,924 BRIDGE SUSPENDER COLLAR Preston R. Peritey, Sr., Harrisburg, Pa., assignor to Bethlehem Steel Corporation, a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 21, 1966, Ser. No. 595,849 4 Claims. (Ci. 1422) This invention relates generally to suspension bridges and more specifically to collars surrounding the suspender cables in a suspension bridge where the suspenders pass through a structural member in the bridge.

In suspension bridge construction the main cables, spanning and supported by towers, carry the suspended structure by vertical suspenders. The suspenders consist of one or more cables. In many cases they are attached to the bottom chord of trusses located on each side of the suspended structure. With this arrangement the suspenders must pass through the top chord of each truss and relative movement between the top chord and suspender may result in chafing of the suspender. To minimize this wear collars containing lining members surrounding each of the suspender cables are mounted on the top chord. In the past, mounting one of these collars and even replacement of worn lining members necessitated disconnecting the suspender from the truss and threading it through the :new collar and lining member.

The object of my invention is to provide a suspender collar, every part of which may be replaced, installed or removed without disconnecting the suspender from the truss of said suspended structure.

I have discovered that the foregoing object can be attained by providing a collar comprising parts separable along vertical planes passing through the suspender cables.

The figure of the drawing is a perspective view Show ing my invention.

With reference to the drawing, the installation of the collar of my invention around a suspender where the suspender cables 1 pass through the top chord 2 of a truss member is illustrated. As shown, each lining member 3 is essentially a cylinder split diametrically in a vertical plane and having a flange at its upper end. The lining members are each disposed within apertures in a plate member 4 and surround one of the suspender cables. Since it is split, each lining member may be installed in or removed from the plate member without disconnecting the suspender cable and so replacement of a worn lining member is facilitated. The lining members are fastened to the plate member 4 by cap screws 5 through their flanges. They may be of any material but one which minimizes chafing of the suspender cables is preferred, e.g., zinc or nylon.

Plate member 4 is secured to the top chord 2 by bolts 11 and encloses the lining members 3. This plate member is also made up of sections separable along vertical planes passing through the cables. These sections are held together by bolts 6 through abutting sections and by bolt and nut connections 7 between flanges 8 protruding from the abutting sections. Installation or removal of the plate member may thus be achieved without disconnecting the suspender cables, and a cracked or otherwise injured section of either the plate member 4 or lining member 3 may be replaced without dismounting the whole collar.

3,414,924 Patented Dec. 10, 1968 The drawing also shows retaining means preferably consisting of a plurality of retaining plates 9, each placed over a lining member and having an. aperture allowing passage of one of the suspender cables through it. Each retaining plate is also split along a vertical plane passing through one of the suspender cables, so that it also may be installed or replaced with the suspender in place. It is secured to the plate member and lining member by the cap screws which also pass through the flanges of lining member 3.

The lining member 3 gradually increases in thickness from top to bottom, resulting in a tapering of the in terior of the lining member, as shown at 10. This tapering facilitates removal of the lining members with the suspender in place, since only the thicker portion, not the total length, of the lining member is in contact with the suspender cable. Therefore, less binding between the cable and lining member will be encountered when the lining member is removed.

The collar of the present invention allows removal or installation of the whole collar or of only one element thereof, e.g., the lining members, without disconnecting the suspender from the suspended structure. Worn lining members may be replaced, while the suspender remains in its usual position.

I claim:

1. In a suspension bridge, a collar for enclosing the cables forming a suspender where said cables pass through the top chord of the suspended structure of said suspension bridge, said collar comprising:

(a) a plate member secured to said top chord, said plate member having a plurality of apertures aligned with the cables of said suspender and comprised of a plurality of sections separable along vertical planes passing through said apertures,

(b) a plurality of lining members, each disposed within an aperture in said plate member and having an aperture, each said lining member being split along a vertical plane passing through the center of the aperture in said lining member,

(c) retaining means securing said lining members in the apertures in said plate member.

2. The collar as set forth in claim 1, in which said retaining means is comprised of a plurality of retaining plates, separable along vertical planes passing through the apertures in said plate member and having apertures aligned with the apertures in said lining members.

3. The collar as set forth in claim 1, in which the aperture in each said lining member is tapered.

4. The collar as set forth in claim 1, in which each said lining member has a flange at its upper end.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS JACOB L. NACKENOFF, Primary Examiner.

U.S. Cl. XR. 

1. IN A SUSPENSION BRIDGE, A COLLAR FOR ENCLOSING THE CABLES FORMING A SUSPENDER WHERE SAID CABLES PASS THROUGH THE TOP CHORD OF THE SUSPENDED STRUCTURE OF SAID SUSPENSION BRIDGE, SAID COLLAR COMPRISING: (A) A PLATE MEMBER SECURED TO SAID TOP CHORD, SAID PLATE MEMBER HAVING A PLURALITY OF APERTURES ALIGNED WITH THE CABLES OF SAID SUSPENDER AND COMPRISED OF A PLURALITY OF SECTIONS SEPARABLE ALONG VERTICAL PLANES PASSING THROUGH SAID APERTURES, (B) A PLURALITY OF LINING MEMBERS, EACH DISPOSED WITHIN AN APERTURE IN SAID PLATE MEMBER AND HAVING AN APERTURE, EACH SAID LINING MEMBER BEING SPLIT ALONG A VERTICAL PLANE PASSING THROUGH THE CENTER OF THE APERTURE IN SAID LINING MEMBER, (C) RETAINING MEANS SECURING SAID LINING MEMBERS IN THE APERTURES IN SAID PLATE MEMBER. 